Express-Scripts plans $56 million expansion and 1,500 new jobs over five years

St. Louis is headed to the top ten in college attainment.

Featured Item

A pillar of our economic development strategy is that, “We will win on today’s regional strengths in focused economic clusters. Explore in detail the four sectors that we believe will shape our region’s future.

“The Banker” … from Central Park West to Washington Avenue

Featured Item

More

Featured Item

We’ve condensed a detailed three-year plan into a single paragraph we call our Strategy Statement. It’s all about priorities and direction.

Featured Item

Our research team has probably answered almost any question that could be asked regarding the St. Louis region. If you can't find it in our Regional Data section, please send a note to Tim Alexander at talexander@stlregionalchamber.com.

More

Featured Item

Inner City Capital Connections Program has come to St. Louis. To date, this program has helped 837 different businesses raise over $1.32 billion in capital and create over 11,000 jobs in the inner city. Read more about the program on our blog.

Featured Item

We believe nothing is more important in St. Louis than achieving Top 10 status in college attainment among the nation's largest metros. Visit www.topteneducation.org to follow our progress.

Featured Item

If your company represents growth potential for the region -- or you know of other companies that do -- we'd be pleased to help however we can. Please contact Jim Alexander at jalexander@stlregionalchamber.com

Featured Item

Featured Item

St. Louis is home to 16 Fortune 1000 companies and some of the largest private firms in the U.S.; but don't overlook the ever increasing number of high growth small-to-medium enterprises and startups. Click here for a quick summary.

St. Louis Press Pass

by
St. Louis Regional Chamber
| Mar 27, 2017

How St. Louis’ $761 million startup community stacks up against the world

(St. Louis Business Journal, 3/22/17)

A three-year period of success for St. Louis startups between 2013 and 2015 has vaulted the city into one of the premier up-and-coming startup ecosystems in the world, according to Startup Genome, a San Francisco-based research firm that helps startups.>> CLICK FOR MORE

Missouri jobless rate drops slightly in February

(KTRS, 3/22/17)

Unemployment in Missouri has dropped again. Data released Tuesday by the Missouri Department of Economic Development show the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged down to 4.1 percent in February compared to 4.2 percent in January.>> CLICK FOR MORE

MLS investment group promises millions of dollars for youth, jobs programs in St. Louis

(St. Louis Public Radio, 3/21/17)

An ownership group that’s trying to persuade St. Louis voters to help fund a professional soccer stadium said Tuesday that it will invest millions of dollars in youth soccer and job-training programs.>> CLICK FOR MORE

Prolog part of startup deals totaling nearly $30 million

(St. Louis Business Journal, 3/24/17)

Prolog Ventures, the Clayton-based venture capital firm that specializes in investing in healthy living companies, has participated in three startup deals this month — two of them local — that combined total nearly $30 million.>> CLICK FOR MORE

Local agtech startup raises $2.4 million from investors

(St. Louis Business Journal, 3/22/17)

Arvegenix, a St. Louis-area agtech startup, has raised $2.4 million from a group of mostly local investors.>> CLICK FOR MORE

Chesterfield Outlet Mall Debuts Small Business Pop-Up

(KMOX, 3/20/17)

Stores are closing locations, malls everywhere are struggling, so Taubman Prestige Outlets in Chesterfield is looking to accessorize with some local start-ups. A concept called ‘Emerge Pop-Up Boutique’ will give small businesses a chance to try the brick-and-mortar experience for a weekend.>> CLICK FOR MORE

How To Start A Company In St. Louis: Greetabl

(ALIVE Magazine, 3/22/17)

Could St. Louis be the birthplace of the next Hallmark? That’s the intent for Greetabl co-founders Zoë Scharf and Joe Fischer, who began the business in St. Louis and continue to use the city as their headquarters. “We have big goals,” says Scharf. “We want to be a household name.”>> CLICK FOR MORE

Butterscotch Shenanigans Wants To Be The Midwest’s Most Famous Game Studio

(EQ, 3/20/17)

When we think of video games, the most casual gamers among us think of Nintendo, EA Games, and Rockstar Studio—we rarely, if ever, know what’s going on in independent game studios. As it turns out, there’s one right in St. Louis, a city where so many small businesses are thriving.>> CLICK FOR MORE

Hydrate with these Healthy, Locally Produced Drinks

(Ladue News, 3/17/17)

Our nation collectively is drowning in a riptide of high-fructose corn syrup, often overcharged with caffeine and chemicals, and Angela Zeng wants to throw Americans a life preserver.>> CLICK FOR MORE

New drug developed at SLU hospital shows promise in fighting heart disease

(KTVI, 3/21/17)

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, but new drugs called PCSK9 inhibitors appear to be a step in reversing that trend.>> CLICK FOR MORE

New low-cost medical clinic opens in Collinsville

(Belleville News-Democrat, 3/20/17)

There’s a new medical clinic for patients in Collinsville — the 34th clinic opened by Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation to provide more access to care for patients of all incomes.>> CLICK FOR MORE

After enrollment dip, Lindenwood leaders say the university has a plan to rebound

(St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 3/20/17)

Lindenwood University’s niche within the region’s higher education market depends on reaching commuter students where they live, with multiple campuses set up in all corners of the St. Louis metro area.>> CLICK FOR MORE

In Webster Groves a preschool thrives, thanks to high-schoolers

(St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 3/22/17)

A preschool nestled in a hallway of Webster Groves High School costs $5 a day and is run almost entirely by high school students.>> CLICK FOR MORE

Saturday Scholars: Paving the way for St. Louis' future doctors

(KSDK, 3/23/17)

A decades long partnership between one of St. Louis' most prestigious universities and the St. Louis public school system is giving high school students a glimpse into the medical field. It’s called Saturday Scholars. It’s a rare opportunity for extraordinary teens.>> CLICK FOR MORE

COLOR CODED KIDS

(HEC-TV, 3/2017)

Due to a lack of minority participation in programming, a mom founded an organization looking to prove that’s it’s never too early to engage kids in coding. Color Coded Kids is a programming enrichment program that serves minority kids from ages 8 to 12 in the St. Louis area.>> CLICK FOR MORE

St. Louis City, MSD begin tearing down abandoned buildings

(KPLR 11, 2/23/17)

St. Louis City begins a program designed to abolish hundreds of abandoned buildings.>> CLICK FOR MORE

Contemporary 116-Unit Apartment Building Planned for South Grand YMCA Site

(nextSTL, 3/23/17)

Proposals to replace the long-vacant South Grand YMCA have been through several iterations and multiple delays. A newly available rendering shows a gray brick 116-unit apartment building fronting South Grand. The previously available plan from two years ago showed a two-story retail and office building.>> CLICK FOR MORE

South County senior living community plans $5 million expansion

(St. Louis Business Journal, 3/21/17)

Friendship Village is planning an expansion of its senior living community in south St. Louis County.>> CLICK FOR MORE

St. Louis women make inroads into male-dominated liquor business

(St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 3/19/17)

At a time when her teenage peers were downing sodas and other sweet drinks, Gina Hoagland was falling in love with dry wine. A high school friend’s parents introduced her to their wine cellar and allowed her to choose any bottle. They would then educate her about its taste and origin.>> CLICK FOR MORE

Chuck Berry, Rock ’n’ Roll Pioneer, Dies at 90

(The New York Times, 3/18/17)

Chuck Berry, who with his indelible guitar licks, brash self-confidence and memorable songs about cars, girls and wild dance parties did as much as anyone to define rock ’n’ roll’s potential and attitude in its early years, died on Saturday at his home near Wentzville, Mo. He was 90.>> CLICK FOR MORE

The Cardinals will let fans attend all the games they want in 2017 for a monthly fee

(CBS Sports, 3/22/17)

A common lamentation is that attending a major-league game is too expensive these days. Sure, it’s far cheaper than going to an NFL or NBA game, but there’s no doubt that it’s not as easy as it once was if you’re on a tight budget.>> CLICK FOR MORE

World Chess Hall of Fame Debuts New Exhibition, The Imagery of Chess: Saint Louis Artists

(Gazelle STL, 3/2017)

The World Chess Hall of Fame in Saint Louis debuts an innovative new exhibition, The Imagery of Chess: Saint Louis Artists, on Thursday, March 23, with a special public opening reception from 6-8 p.m. The exhibit will be on view through September 24, 2017.>> CLICK FOR MORE